Featured image: Retired Army Col. Walter Joseph Marm Jr. salutes during the national anthem, Veterans Day 2011, New York. Photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade, U.S. Army.
Veterans Day falls on a Wednesday this year, 11 November 2026, and many people are quietly asking what to wear on Veterans Day. Somewhere this week, a veteran is looking at a box of medals on a closet shelf and wondering whether it would be strange to wear them. Somewhere else, a family is trying to work out what to put on for a parade they have never been to.
This guide walks through it based on who you are. After that, it covers the small customs that catch people off guard and how the day is marked nationally and here in North Texas.
Quick Answer: Veterans may wear their earned medals on civilian clothes on Veterans Day, positioned on the left side of the chest as they would sit on the uniform. Retirees may also wear their uniform at Veterans Day ceremonies and parades. Former service members who did not retire generally may wear the uniform only if they served honorably during a war. Families and guests wear business casual for ceremonies and warm, comfortable layers for outdoor parades. During the national anthem, veterans in civilian clothes may give the military salute.
What to Wear on Veterans Day if You Served
For most veterans, the right choice is civilian clothes with your medals or a lapel button.
Medals on civilian clothes. Army Regulation 670-1 names Veterans Day specifically as an occasion when retirees and former members of the Army may wear their medals on civilian clothing. Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day and formal occasions of ceremony appear on the same list. The Air Force gives honorably discharged and retired members the same permission for appropriate occasions. Place the medals on the left side of the chest, roughly where they would sit on the uniform, in the same order of precedence.
Full-size or miniature? For a daytime ceremony or parade, full-size medals read clearly and suit the day. Miniatures belong with formal evening wear, so if your post or unit holds a Veterans Day dinner or ball, wear those instead. Our guide to mini medals and full-size medals covers the difference in more detail.
A lapel button for everything else. If a full set feels like too much for where you are going, a single lapel button on the left lapel says the same thing quietly. In fact, many veterans wear one all week.
We wrote a full guide to wearing medals on civilian clothes, with placement by branch, if you want the details.
Can You Wear Your Old Uniform?
This is the question most veterans are unsure about, and the answer depends on how you left the service. Here is the Army’s version, which the other branches broadly mirror.
| Who you are | Can you wear the uniform on Veterans Day? |
| Retired | Yes. Retirees may wear the uniform at ceremonies and at parades on national holidays, in either the uniform they retired in or the current one for their grade, but not a mix of the two. |
| Former member, served honorably during a war | Yes, at ceremonies and at holiday or patriotic parades where a Regular or Reserve military unit takes part, in the highest grade held during that war. |
| Former member, no wartime service | Generally no. Wear your medals on civilian clothes instead. |
| Currently serving | Follow your service regulation and your command’s guidance for the event. |
Two practical notes. For parades, only service and dress uniforms are authorized, never combat or physical fitness uniforms. And if you wear it, wear all of it correctly. A complete, well-fitted uniform honors the day. A partial one, however, tends to draw the wrong kind of attention.
The Army rules sit in AR 670-1, paragraphs 23-3 and 23-4, which trace back to federal law at 10 U.S.C. 772. If you served in another branch, your service has its own retiree guidance with very similar occasions.
You May Salute in Civilian Clothes
Since 14 October 2008, federal law has allowed members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform to render the military salute during the national anthem. The provision came in the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act and now sits in 36 U.S.C. 301. An earlier law, signed in January 2008, did the same for the moments when the flag goes up, comes down or passes by.
Meanwhile, everyone else present stands, faces the flag, and places the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform remove their hats and hold them at the left shoulder, hand over the heart.
So if you served, you may salute. You may also place your hand over your heart. Both are correct, so no one should fault you for either.
What Families and Guests Should Wear
There is no dress code for civilians on Veterans Day, and nobody expects one. A few practical suggestions, from people who have stood through a lot of November ceremonies:
For an indoor ceremony or program, business casual is right. Slacks and a collared shirt, a dress, or a skirt and blouse. A jacket is welcome, though not expected.
For an outdoor parade or memorial service, dress for the weather first. In most of the country, 11 November is cold, and you will likely stand still for an hour or more. Layers, a warm coat, and shoes you can stand in matter more than anything else you choose.
A small red, white, and blue flag pin or something similar is a nice touch, but entirely optional. The thing that actually honors the day is showing up.
If you are with a veteran who is wearing medals, let them lead. Some will want to talk about what they mean, many will not, and both are fine.
A Few Customs Worth Knowing
Veterans Day is not Memorial Day. Memorial Day, in May, honors those who died in service. Veterans Day honors everyone who served, and most of the people it honors are still with us. The official ceremony at Arlington is intended, in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ own words, “to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.”
So “Happy Veterans Day” is fine. The greeting that bothers many veterans is “Happy Memorial Day,” because that day is about loss. Veterans Day is a day of thanks to the living, and a warm greeting suits it.
The poppy belongs to May in America. In Britain, Canada and the Commonwealth, the red poppy is worn in November for Remembrance Day. In the United States, the American Legion Auxiliary leads National Poppy Day on the Friday before Memorial Day. Wearing one on Veterans Day isn’t wrong, but it isn’t American custom.
Veterans organization caps are part of a uniform. You will see members of the American Legion or the VFW wearing their caps at official functions where a civilian would remove a hat. Each organization sets its own rules for this, so it is not a breach of manners.
It is “Veterans Day,” with no apostrophe. The Department of Veterans Affairs spells it that way officially, because the day belongs to all veterans rather than being owned by any one of them.
How the Nation Marks 11 November
The heart of the day is 11 a.m., the hour the guns fell silent in 1918.
At Arlington National Cemetery, the National Veterans Day Observance begins at 11 a.m. Eastern, in the Memorial Amphitheater, following a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This year will also be the 73rd. It is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served, and visitors ride a tram from the Welcome Center. Backpacks, large bags and umbrellas are not allowed, so plan accordingly. If you cannot go, the ceremony is livestreamed. Arlington’s visitor page has the current details.
The 2026 official Veterans Day poster combines the modern American flag with an early American flag, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary this year.
The VA and the Veterans Day National Committee have also named 48 regional sites in 24 states for 2026. Five of them are in Texas: El Paso, Austin, Fort Worth, Zavala County, and the Central Texas cities of Killeen, Harker Heights and Copperas Cove.
If you are not near any of those, a quiet moment at 11 a.m., wherever you are, keeps the oldest part of the tradition.
How Communities Say Thank You
Beyond the national ceremonies, most of the thanks happens close to home. Churches hold special services, cemeteries host wreath-laying, and many schools invite veterans to assemblies where students sing, read letters, or simply say thank you.
Many restaurants and coffee shops also offer veterans a free meal, a discount, or a free cup of coffee on 11 November. Offers change every year and vary by location, so it is worth calling ahead. Bring proof of service, such as a VA ID card, your DD-214, or a driver’s license with the veteran designation.
And the day belongs to everyone who served. Retired or not, four years or thirty, you are part of it.
Close to Home in Wichita Falls
Our shop sits a few miles from Sheppard Air Force Base, and Veterans Day here is a community affair.
The North Texas Veterans Council holds a parade downtown each year, usually on a Saturday close to Veterans Day, with veterans and community members gathering beforehand to march. Before you go, check the council’s announcement for this year’s date and assembly point. If you are local, please come and say hi before the day. We close on 11 November itself, so stop by the shop in the days before, and we will make sure your medals are ready for the parade.
Why 11 November?
The fighting of the First World War stopped at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in 1918. A year later, President Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day.
Congress made 11 November a legal holiday in 1938, dedicated to world peace. After the Second World War and Korea, veterans organizations asked that it honor veterans of every war. So on 1 June 1954, the name changed to Veterans Day.
For a few years, it moved. The Uniform Holiday Bill shifted it to a Monday in October, and the first observance under that law, on 25 October 1971, caused considerable confusion. In 1975, President Ford signed a law returning it to 11 November, effective in 1978, and it has stayed there since. The VA tells the full history of Veterans Day on its site.
That history is why the date does not move to make a long weekend. In other words, the date is the point.
Getting Your Medals Ready in Time
If you would like to wear your medals this year and they are not mounted, or not complete, please do not leave it until the week before.
One detail trips people up every year. The Postal Service is closed on Veterans Day, so nothing moves by mail on 11 November itself. Many local parades, like ours, also happen on the weekend before. Federal offices and many banks close too, and so do we. In practice, that means aiming to have your set in hand by Friday 6 November.
Our ribbon rack builder places every award in the correct order of precedence for your branch and adds the right devices, so the set arrives ready to wear. You can browse all military medals or check the order for your branch first: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or Space Force.
If you are buying for a veteran in your family, our guide to military retirement gift ideas explains how to find their award list without spoiling the surprise.
Already own a set from us? We update racks and medal sets originally bought from Super Thin Ribbons, so adding an award does not mean starting over. And we charge nothing extra for expedited production. If the date is close, call us and we will tell you honestly whether we can make it.
Use code STR2025 for 10% off your order.
Built in the USA
Super Thin Ribbons is a U.S. based company, headquartered at 1602 Loop 11, Wichita Falls, Texas 76306. You can reach our team directly at 940-851-6220 or sa***@**************ns.com.
We are a small, Native American and woman-owned shop that has made ribbons and medals since 1998, and we do only that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most veterans wear civilian clothes with their earned medals on the left side of the chest, or a single lapel button. Retirees may also wear their uniform at Veterans Day ceremonies and parades.
Yes. Army Regulation 670-1 names Veterans Day specifically as an occasion for retired personnel and former members to wear medals on civilian clothing, and the other services allow the same. Place them roughly where they would sit on the uniform.
Under Army rules, only if they served honorably during a declared or undeclared war. In that case, they may wear it at ceremonies and at holiday parades where a military unit takes part, in the highest grade held during that war.
Yes. Since 2008, federal law has allowed veterans and service members not in uniform to give the military salute. That covers the national anthem and the flag as it passes.
Business casual for indoor ceremonies and warm layers with comfortable shoes for outdoor parades and memorial services. Still, there is no formal dress code.
Memorial Day, in May, honors those who died in military service. Veterans Day, on 11 November, honors everyone who served, most of whom are living.
The Postal Service, federal offices, and many banks close on 11 November, while most stores and restaurants stay open. Our shop is closed that day as well, so plan for any medal order to arrive before the weekend preceding Veterans Day.
Sources: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs history of Veterans Day and VA News, 36 U.S.C. 301, 4 U.S.C. 9, Army Regulation 670-1 paragraphs 23-3, 23-4 and 23-6, Department of the Air Force retiree guidance, Arlington National Cemetery, and the American Legion Auxiliary.
Thank You
The armistice that gave us this date was meant to end war for good. It did not, and every generation since has sent people to stand watch on its behalf.
If you are one of them, thank you. Not for a single day in November, but for the years behind it, and for the ones you never talk about.
Here in North Texas, Veterans Day is not a quiet date on the calendar. Flags go up, churches and schools fill, and people go out of their way to say thank you. We are proud to be a small part of that.
And if you are reading this on behalf of someone you love, thank you for wanting to get it right. If you are unsure about anything here, please call us at 940-851-6220. We would be glad to help.
If we have made a set for you or someone in your family, a short [Google review] helps other veterans find us. It means a great deal to a small shop like ours.